Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

I also express my condolences to the husband and family of the late Savita Halappanavar whose death at University Hospital Galway was tragic and untimely. The manner in which the HSE inquiry into her death was announced and the composition of the inquiry team has compromised it from the very beginning. Will the Minister establish an independent public inquiry into this matter? I was disappointed to see the composition of the inquiry team but was not surprised. From my contact with the HSE over the past several years, I have found it to be an arrogant body. Whoever took the decision to have three consultants from University Hospital Galway on the inquiry team is certainly not in touch with reality. It is important and essential that the inquiry is in no way compromised.

It is clear now, if it was not clear up to now, that the budget for the health service is totally inadequate. The system is bursting at the seams and a high standard of service is not available to patients despite the best efforts of HSE staff. The health service is simply underfunded. The HSE outlined the growth in admissions to accident and emergency departments and the issuing of medical cards while there are serious cutbacks, bed closures and significant numbers on trolleys in accident and emergency departments. Last Thursday, for example, there were 287 people on hospital trolleys across the country. Up to a 1 million home help hours have been cut this year and elderly people have been badly affected by this. The promise of free general practitioner, GP, care has not materialised. There is the prospect of further cuts amounting to €1 billion next year with a further 3,000 job losses.

Austerity needs to stop and the health budget needs to be increased. People are entitled to a reasonable level of services. In the past I have pointed out there is significant wealth in the country with a top 5% of the population considerably increasing its income and assets during this recession. They do not pay their fair share of taxation. They should be made to pay it so that we can better fund health services.

In a reply to a parliamentary question on hospital network structures, I was informed there has been extensive consultation on this process. What consultations have taken place? Which civic society organisations and patient representative organisations were consulted? Were there requests for submissions from the wider public? In my view there has been a constant lack of consultation by the HSE concerning the services it provides. There is certainly consultation within the HSE and hospitals on services but no wider public consultation.

What is the position on the draft report on the hospital networks? Has the strategic board seen this draft report? Has it been approved by the board? Has it been sent to the Minister? What is the current position?

Finally, I want to raise the question of beds at the Hospital of the Assumption in Thurles. A number of commitments have been made - one by the Minister approximately 12 months ago and one by Deputy Coonan approximately three weeks ago - that these beds would reopen. The reply to my question would suggest that there is no question of these beds being reopened, either this year or in the coming year. The Minister committed to opening those 22 beds. That has not happened. Deputy Coonan stated approximately four weeks ago that in three or four weeks' time eight to ten beds would reopen at the Hospital of the Assumption in Thurles. Is it going to happen? What is the position in that regard?